This disclosure relates generally to die casting systems, and more particularly to a shot tube plunger for a die casting system that includes a thermal control scheme for maintaining a temperature of the shot tube plunger.
Casting is a known technique used to yield near net-shaped components. For example, investment casting is often used in the gas turbine engine industry to manufacture near net-shaped components, such as blades and vanes having relatively complex geometries. A component is investment cast by pouring molten metal into a ceramic shell having a cavity in the shape of the component to be cast. Generally, the shape of the component to be produced is derived from a wax pattern or SLA pattern that defines the shape of the component. The investment casting process is capital intensive, requires significant manual labor and can be time intensive to produce the final component.
Die casting offers another known casting technique. Die casting involves injecting molten metal directly into a reusable die to yield a near net-shaped component. The components of the die casting system, including the shot tube and the shot tube plunger, are subjected to relatively high thermal loads and stresses during the die casting process.